British dancer Akram Khan honoured by Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts

British-Bangladeshi dancer and choreographer Akram Khan was awarded an honorary fellowship by the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) on December 5, in recognition of his long years of collaboration within the city’s dance community.

Through his enduring partnership with Hong Kong’s Leisure and Cultural Services Department, he “showcased multiple outstanding productions in this city” and left “a lasting impact within the local community”, said Anna Chan Chung-ying, dean of the HKAPA’s School of Dance, at the ceremony to confer the fellowship.

She added that Khan had been “instrumental in nurturing the next generation of dancers” by offering internships to HKAPA students and thanked him for being a role model and respected figure for aspiring artists.

London-based Khan, who attended the ceremony in person, said that he has had close ties with Hong Kong throughout his career and has visited every few years through his work.

“I’m interested in stories that originate from Asia. [The] value system and way of looking at stories are very similar to my upbringing,” he said.

“There are predominantly a lot of gods and demons in Asian mythologies, whether it’s Indian or Chinese, so it never felt foreign to me. I felt very [close] to anything that was dragon-related or mythological, [anything] to do with gods and goddesses and demons.”